HEADSTRONG, CRAZY DAYS
by Miss Lena
Summary: The third instilation of my SasuNaru series.


Sasuke didn't change his attitude much within the next few hours, but he answered Naruto's questions without throwing rice and raw fish at him. Sasuke's mood lightened up by the time they were ready to meet Iruka, though, and Naruto had gotten bits of important information from Sasuke.

Apparently, what Naruto hadn't been able to hear was Sasuke's love confession, and when Sasuke had learned that Naruto hadn't heard it, he apologized multiple times for jumping to conclusions. Naruto simply took Sasuke's hand and smiled, saying that it wasn't a wrong conclusion and that he was forgiven, but only this once.

They wandered around until someone had to come looking for them, and that someone was Iruka himself. He scolded the both of them for being so late and then for the first time Sasuke and Naruto looked at Sasuke's watch/armband to find that it was almost nine o'clock at night. They accepted the scolding – Naruto with a frown and Sasuke with a straight face – , knowing that they were keeping the entire class from checking into their hotel. Girls complained about how Naruto had been holding Sasuke up, and about how they hadn't wanted to wait so long to take a bath.

Naruto had completely ignored it, still sitting with Sasuke and talking in his ear, and Sakura was still trying to shove him off, but nothing fazed him. Sasuke's love confession had filled him with a new kind of energy; an energy that surged through his body and made his heart race, making his words race, as well. Naruto's fast talking whirled past everyone that he spoke to, and they asked him to slow down multiple times, to which he answered:

"I can't. I'm too excited."

"Too excited about _what_?" Kiba snorted, elbowing Shino – who had been unfortunate enough to be standing next to Kiba as they waited for their hotel numbers – "You're not with Sakura in a room alone, are you? Iruka likes you, so I'm sure he would have…!"

"Nope, that's not what I'm excited about. And I'm partnered with Sasuke, not Sakura." Naruto tapped his foot impatiently, glancing over at Sasuke. Sakura was hanging all over him again, and Naruto frowned, a single question that popped into his mind becoming an urgent message to Sasuke. _So, since you like me and I like you, _Naruto could imagine himself saying, _does that mean we're dating?_

Kiba laughed. "Sucks for you, huh? You're stuck with Sasuke?" He elbowed Shino again, who rubbed his arm and took off his sunglasses. Kiba backed off, and Shino placed the glasses on their rightful place over his eyes. "Anyway, what're you so excited about?"

Naruto pulled a pamphlet out of his pocket so that he didn't have to answer the question. "Whoa. This place has a ramen bar!" He exclaimed, "I'm eating dinner there!"

"So _that's_ what you're excited about…" Kiba muttered, raising his arm to elbow Shino again but quickly putting it back down when Shino sidestepped out of reach. "I swear, Naruto. You're way too easy; one hint of ramen and you're ecstatic."

Kiba was silence by Iruka's yelling out names and numbers. Naruto learned who had partnered with whom; Sakura and Ino had been fussing, so they'd had to switch partners and Sakura was with Hinata while Ino was with Tenten. Sakura and Hinata were in room 510, Ino and Tenten had room 512, Kiba and Shino had room 514, Shikamaru and Chouji room 516, Iruka and Kakashi (who had joined them at the last minute,) room 518, and Sasuke and Naruto had been given the room at the end of the second floor; room 520.

Sasuke grabbed the both of their keys, and handed Naruto his, heading in a separate direction. "Wait a minute, Sasuke!" Naruto tailed after him, and Sasuke simply looked back.

"You have your key." He muttered, "What more do you want from me?" He continued walking.

Naruto looked around nervously, and – determining that there were too many people to feel safe – he decided to ask a different question then the one stabbing at the back of his mind. "Um… where are you eating tonight, Sasuke? I know it's late, but I was going to go to the ramen bar, and I don't think that anyone else will go with me… So if you're eating alone tonight…"

Sakura had been walking up to Sasuke as Naruto spoke, and she stomped her foot in frustration. "Ooh!" She growled, glowering daggers at Naruto, "What is with them?!" She turned to Hinata to complain.

"Sure, I'll go with you." Sasuke nodded, "Though I thought ramen for lunch was enough…?"

"Nope!" Naruto smiled widely. "I could eat ramen for all three meals, and then some!"

"I would get sick." Sasuke mused, and he and Naruto walked away from Sakura and Hinata.

"Ooh I can't _believe_ Naruto! What does he think he's doing, anyway?! Who does he think he is?!"

"Sakura…" Hinata muttered, "Maybe Sasuke wants to talk to Naruto…" He gazed at Naruto sadly. "They are friends, right?"

"They're too buddy-buddy right now." Sakura muttered, "Hey, Hinata, you like Naruto, don't you? Doesn't it bother you that they're spending so much time together? Or don't you want to be the one eating ramen with Naruto?" Sakura placed one hand on her hip, looking Hinata in the eyes.

"W… Well, yes, but… if he wants to spend time with his friend… it's not like I'm his g… g… girlfriend…" Girlfriend was almost impossible to come off of her tongue.

Sakura huffed. "You don't get it." She muttered, "You've got to fight for the man you want! I mean, sure, Naruto's open game, but you've still got to fight for his attention! You've got to work so that you _are_ the one at the ramen bar with him, got it?"

Hinata scuffed her feet nervously. "Wh… what do we… need to do…?" She stammered.

"That's the spirit!" Sakura barked, "C'mon! Let's follow them." Sakura ran a hand through her pink hair, and looked over at Hinata. "But be really quiet, okay?"

"Oh… okay…" Hinata nodded, and they stalked after Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto made Sasuke take a few detours until he was certain that they were alone, and Sakura and Hinata ducked into some bushes. They peered out from a small opening, staying completely silent, and their headstrong attitude towards the goal made them cooperate, even though being crammed in a small shrub in a mini shirt and skinny jeans wasn't the most comfortable thing. Sakura had her left eye peering out from the shrub, and Hinata had her right.

"Sasuke, I wanted to ask you something…" Naruto sat at the picnic table closest to the bush where Sakura and Hinata lay hidden, "Y'know… what we talked about… at the aquarium?"

"Yeah." Sasuke stayed standing, leaning against the table."What about it? Is it bugging you?"

"No." Naruto shook his head, "Or… I don't think it bothers me." He twiddled his thumbs nervously. "But… since you… like me and I…I like you… does that mean we're dating or something?"

Sakura's jaw dropped, and Hinata covered her mouth, ready to cry.

"Maybe." Sasuke stated plainly, almost as if Naruto was stupid for not understanding, "I guess. I wouldn't know, would you?"

"No…" Naruto muttered, "But I wanted to make sure. Y'know. If we _are_ dating, I'd like to know, wouldn't you?"

"I would." Sasuke agreed.

"So… are we, or aren't we?" Naruto asked nervously.

"I guess we are, aren't we?" Sasuke asked right back.

"I guess so." The short sentences made Naruto uncomfortable; he felt almost awkward, as if someone was watching them. "So… now what? This whole 'gay' thing is new to me."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's not exactly my natural skill, either." He grabbed Naruto's chin, tilting his face upwards and kissing him lightly, "But I guess we should do something like that."

Sakura shook her head, refusing to listen to the rest of the conversation. She back out of the bush, crawling until she was sure that she was out of sight, and running back to the hotel. Hinata began fretting silently because she'd crawled out after Sakura, but her knee had landed on a twig and Sasuke had glanced over. She crawled out as far back as she could before she slammed into something, and then looked back at what she'd rammed into she saw the black skinny jeans that Sasuke had been wearing. She looked up, still on her hands and knees, and saw Sasuke glowering down at her. She let out a loud gasp.

"I'm sorry!" She cried out, standing up and bowing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry….!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. Were you spying on us?" Sasuke growled.

"Yes… and I'm sorry, I really am, but… Sakura… she… um… she… wanted… to see what… you two were up to… and… um… I… um… got curious… and… um… since she's my _partner_, I… um… had to stay with her… and… um… um…" Hinata broke out into tears of nervousness and disappointment.

"Sasuke!" Naruto growled, "You're not supposed to make her cry!"

"And if she told everyone?!" Sasuke snapped, "We'd be the laughing stock of Konoha!"

Naruto let the idea sink in, and it wasn't something that he wanted. "… Hinata," Naruto asked quietly, "How much did you hear? How much did you see?" He sounded upset, and Hinata wiped her eyes, only to have the tears multiply themselves.

"Everything…." She sniffled, "But I won't tell! And… and… I'll make sure… well, um… I'll tell Sakura not to tell anybody, either…" Hinata shoved past Sasuke, running towards the Hotel as well, crying the entire way.

Naruto watched her run with a frown on his face, "Sasuke… this is really bad."

"Hm. These are crazy days, Naruto." Sasuke stated, walking to the table and picking up his suitcase again, only this time taking Naruto's, as well. "No one will believe it, and if they do, then we deny it. Point blank. So I guess we can't wander off to be alone, can we?"

"I guess not…" Naruto muttered.

"Oh well." Sasuke stated, beginning to walk towards the hotel. "Let's keep positive; there's a hot springs here, and it should be empty later tonight."

Naruto blushed, taking his suitcase from Sasuke. "Fine…" He stated. "But can we still get ramen?"

Sasuke bopped Naruto lightly on the head, and then smiled lightly. The both of them realized that they didn't just have a crush on each other, but that there had been tenseness between them forever, and it had finally been lifted.


End file.
